Ouch! That was a positive feeling!

Did you know there is research out there saying that positive feelings can be uncomfortable?

It’s not really a surprise. We are used to a certain set of feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and general patterns in our lives. Our brains alert us when anything differs from those patterns, even positive feelings. We operate the same way if we experience more negativity than we are used to. Anything different is threatening. We are, after all, creatures of habit.

This is why you might know some people who are always melancholy and down-beat, day after day. Likewise, you probably know annoyingly happy and upbeat people that can never be brought down. It’s habit. We have default settings for our moods and overall feelings that our brain is trying to protect. It’s just the way things works inside that big ball of gray mush between your ears. It’s a survival mechanism that operates on the – if its not broke, don’t fix it – mechanism.

So how would you like to be a little bit happier and better feeling everyday from here on out?

Even if the thought of being happier sounds pleasing for a few moments, your brain will try to keep you in the pattern of mood you’ve been in for years, maybe the mood you’ve experienced your whole life.

So how do you actually become happier, more up beat, and better feeling day after day? You have to reset your brain’s baseline settings. It will be uncomfortable, even scary, for some people to experience, dare I say it… more positive feelings. You will get uncomfortable being too happy for too long.

To change this, you have to do something… dare I say this too… different. You have to exercise positive feelings and emotions as if negative emotions were love handles you want to get rid of. Everyone knows that exercise can be uncomfortable at first; but little by little, you get stronger, more fit, and better feeling. And little by little you can reset your baseline mood to be happier. One of the best exercises for positive feeling is meditation.

Don’t take my word for it, try it out for yourself. Take a moment every day, even if it’s just for five minutes – to concentrate on gratitude, great memories, or anything that makes you smile. It might be difficult, but have patience and see how you feel afterwards. If it feels uncomfortable at first, don’t say I didn’t warn you.